Story of our Emblem
Designed by Phil Coolie, 05/15/2003
In Mr. Coolie’s words, “ This emblem is not just another ordinary logo on a letterhead or billboard. The cultural symbolism are interrelated and embedded in sacred prayers and sacred songs.”
The SUN GOD (Tawa) is the Giver of Life. He travels the sky from East to West each day. He also owns the stars and the moon. In the evening he visits the Mother of the Universe in the western ocean. The EAGLE FEATHERS represent the sunrays and the eagle is the protector of Life.
According to the Diné, the RAINBOW GOD (naats’iilid) is the Father Sky who sends clouds and rain to nourish Mother Earth. The rainbow arch represents the Navajo Nation sovereignty. The rainbow shields us from harm and danger, and guides us to travel in harmony.
The SACRED MOUNTAIN of the West, the San Francisco Peaks (dook’o’os l iid or Abalone Shell Mountain) near Flagstaff, Arizona is sacred to the Hopi, Paiutes, and the Diné. Adorned with a variety of vegetation, the San Francisco Peaks is a place to collect herbs and medicine. For the Hopi, the Peaks (Navatukya’ovi or Place of Snow on the Very Top), is he mythological home of the Kachina People.
The symbolic YELLOW CORN is the sustainer of all life. The corn pollen and the husks are used in ceremonies. The veins on the husks represent the sacred path one can take to gain knowledge. Other colors of corn represent the four sacred mountains that border the Diné Bikeyah (Land of Diné), which includes Mother Earth and Father Universe.
Mr. Coolie, Emblem Designer, hopes that, “…this emblem provides guidance, and to represent people by healing their minds and bodies for healthier life…when you look atthis emblem, see the world through all the different colors of the rainbow, the mountain, the sun, and the corn.”